Golden State Pops Orchestra
The Golden State Pops Orchestra (GSPO) is a symphony pops orchestra located in the San Pedro district of Los Angeles, California in the United States of America. The GSPO is the resident orchestra of the Warner Grand Theatre, an Art Deco movie palace built by Warner Brothers Studios in 1931. The orchestra performs a wide variety of musical repertoire, including classical, Broadway, pop music and even video game soundtracks. However, the primary focus of the GSPO remains film music, a specialty of the orchestra since its founding in 2002. The Golden State Pops Orchestra is composed of professional freelance musicians from around the Los Angeles area. History The Golden State Pops Orchestra (GSPO) was founded in 2002 by conductor and composer Steven Allen Fox, a graduate of the University of Southern California's Scoring for Motion Pictures and Television (SMPTV) program. Joshua Godoy, also a USC film scoring graduate, served as the assistant conductor. Initially functioning as the instrumental division of the Southeast Civic Light Opera in Los Alamitos, California, the orchestra's original home venue was the Liberty Theatre on the Los Alamitos Joint Forces Military Base. The first public performance of the Golden State Pops Orchestra took place on April 6, 2002 at the Riviera United Methodist Church in Redondo Beach, California. The concert featured film music, and was titled Hooked on Film Scores. The Orchestra then performed four additional concerts in 2002, mostly at the Liberty Theatre. Following its début season, the GSPO separated from the Southeast Civic Light Opera and moved its performances to the Long Beach Events Center (Scottish Rite Cathedral) in Long Beach, California for a portion of the 2003-2004 season, beginning with a St. Patrick's Day themed concert titled St. Pat Goes Pops! on March 15, 2003, and continuing with four additional concerts in Long Beach. In 2004, the orchestra moved to its current home venue, the Warner Grand Theatre in San Pedro, California, premiering with a Valentine's Day themed concert titled Music for Lovers and Other Strangers on February 7, 2004. Since 2004, the GSPO has become the resident orchestra of the Warner Grand Theatre,Burlingame, John. "Film Scores Featured in Concerts around L.A. Area", The Los Angeles Times, October 18, 2009. and has grown into a professional ensemble of around 60 musicians. It continues to specialize in live performances of film scores, and frequently introduces new film music repertoire to its audiences; music that has not been performed since it was first recorded at the original scoring sessions. In 2005, the orchestra gave the North American concert premiere of film composer John Williams' Battle of the Heroes from Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith as part of its all Star Wars concert. Since 2005, the orchestra has presented over fifty world premieres to its audiences, both from recent films such as Drag Me to Hell, Avatar, Astro Boy, Superman Returns, and Scream as well as older films such as Three Amigos, Mysterious Island, and The Fall of the Roman Empire. GSPO Ensemble Series In addition to its regular full orchestra concerts, the Golden State Pops Orchestra presents a series of chamber music concerts at the Grand Annex, Alvas Showroom, the First Presbyterian Church and other venues located near the orchestra's home venue of the Warner Grand Theatre. The GSPO Ensemble Series concerts consist of regular orchestra members who perform chamber music in a wide variety of styles from film and television music to classical repertoire. World Premieres The Golden State Pops Orchestra has focused on live concert performances of film music from its inception. Due to the orchestra's connections with the film and music industry in Los Angeles, it has been able to perform many pieces of music for the first time outside the original films, often with the original composer in attendance or even conducting the orchestra. Some of the world premieres that have been performed by the GSPO include: 2011 *Jerry Goldsmith: The Gold Standard, a medley of thirty of Goldsmith's film score themes, as arranged by Austin Wintory (June 11, 2011) *Sean Murray: Deviant from the video game, Call of Duty: Black Ops, with the composer and the orchestrator in attendance (April 9, 2011) *Austin Wintory: Journey - Suite I, with the composer conducting. Featuring Tina Guo, cello soloist (April 9, 2011) *Gerard Marino: City of Darkness/City of Light from the video game DC Universe Online, with the composer conducting (April 9, 2011) *Russell Brower: The Shattering from the video game World of Warcraft: Cataclysm with the composer in attendance (April 9, 2011) 2010 *Christopher Young: Concerto to Hell (End Credits) from the film Drag Me to Hell featuring the violin soloist from the original soundtrack, Mark Robertson (October 30, 2010)Farrell, John. "Golden State Pops Gets into Spirit of Season", The Daily Breeze, October 28, 2010. *Erich Wolfgang Korngold: Tomorrow, Op. 33 from the film The Constant Nymph featuring guest conductor Jeffrey Schindler and mezzo soprano Bonnie Snell Schindler. (West coast premiere - October 30, 2010)Farrell, John. "Golden State Pops Gets into Spirit of Season", The Daily Breeze, October 28, 2010. *''Disney in Concert: Tale as Old as Time'' (West coast premiere - May 22, 2010) *James Horner: concert suite from the film Avatar (February 6, 2010) *Christopher Young: End Credits from the film Creation, with the composer in attendance. Featuring Paul Henning, solo violin & Jonathan Hughes, piano (February 6, 2010) *Michael Giacchino: Lost Suite from the television series Lost (North American Premiere - February 6, 2010) *Alex North: Blanche from the film A Streetcar Named Desire, as arranged by film composer Elmer Bernstein (February 6, 2010) *Leonard Bernstein: Love Theme from the film On the Waterfront, as arranged by film composer Elmer Bernstein (February 6, 2010) 2009 *John Ottman: End Titles from the film Astro Boy with the original orchestrator, Jason Livesay, conducting and the composer in attendance (October 24, 2009) *Stu Phillips: Variations for Piano and Orchestra featuring Robert Thies, piano (October 24, 2009)"October Scores with Film Music in Concert: Symphonies Coast-to-Coast Celebrate Classic Soundtracks", The Film Music Society, October 6, 2009. *Stu Phillips: Buck Rogers Suite #1 from the television series Buck Rogers in the 25th Century with the composer conducting (October 24, 2009)Burlingame, John. "Film Scores Featured in Concerts around L.A. Area", The Los Angeles Times, October 18, 2009. *Stu Phillips: The Name of the Game is Kill from the 1968 film of the same name, with the composer conducting *Bear McCreary: Colonial Anthem Variations from the television series Battlestar Galactica with the composer conducting (October 24, 2009) *Wataru Hokoyama: Afrika and Savanna from the video game Afrika with the composer conducting (May 16, 2009) *Timothy Michael Wynn: Red Faction: Guerilla Suite from the video game Red Faction: Guerrilla with the composer conducting (May 16, 2009) *Gerard Marino: The End Begins (To Rock) from the video games God of War II and Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock with the composer conducting (May 16, 2009) *Laura Karpman: O'er Thai Landis from the video game Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom (May 16, 2009) *Christopher Lennertz: Main Title from the video game Warhawk with the composer conducting (May 16, 2009) *Christopher Lennertz: Gun Suite from the video game Gun with the composer conducting (May 16, 2009) *Russell Brower: Main Title from the video game World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King with the composer in attendance (May 16, 2009) *Austin Wintory: The World of flOw from the video game flOw with the composer conducting (May 16, 2009) *Austin Wintory: Captain Abu Raed Suite from the film Captain Abu Raed with the composer in attendance (February 7, 2009) *Elmer Bernstein: Elmer Bernstein Medley from the films The Great Escape, Stripes and The Magnificent Seven as arranged by Victor Pesavento (February 7, 2009) 2008 *Bernard Herrmann: Suite from the film Mysterious Island (October 25, 2008) *Bernard Herrmann: Children of Hydra's Teeth from the film Jason and the Argonauts (October 25, 2008) *Irving Gertz: Eskimos Attacked from the film The Deadly Mantis with the composer in attendance (October 25, 2008) :Note: This was the final concert the composer attended before his death on November 14th, 2008. *Max Steiner: Selections from the 1933 film King Kong as reconstructed and orchestrated by John Morgan & William Stromberg (October 25, 2008) *Joseph LoDuca: Main Title from the film The Messengers (October 25, 2008) *Hans J. Salter and Frank Skinner: Suite from Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (October 25, 2008) *Frank Skinner: Main Title and Finale from the film Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (October 25, 2008) *Herman Stein: Suite from the 1955 film Tarantula (October 25, 2008) *George Shaw: J-ok'el from the film J-ok-el: Legend of La Llorona with the composer conducting (October 25, 2008) *Steven Allen Fox: Unleashed: A Journey Into Fear with the composer conducting and featuring Melissa Kaplan, soprano (October 25, 2008) *Sam Spence: Ye Sons of USC (Fight Song donated to the University of Southern California) with the composer conducting (June 14, 2008) *Christopher Lennertz: Main Title from the video game Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault with the composer conducting (May 24, 2008) *Christopher Young: Main Theme from the film Murder in the First with the composer in attendance (February 9, 2008) 2007 *Jerry Goldsmith: Suite from the film Omen III: The Final Conflict as reconstructed by Leigh Phillips (October 27, 2007) *Marco Beltrami: Suite from the films Scream and Scream 2 with the composer in attendance (October 27, 2007) *John Ottman: Suite from the film Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer with the orchestrator, Damon Intrabartolo, conducting and the composer in attendance (June 9, 2007)Goldwasser, Dan. "Golden State Pops to Premiere New Fantastic Four Suite", SoundtrackNet: The Art of Film and Television Music '', May 25, 2007. *John Ottman: ''Superman Returns Concerto from the film Superman Returns with the orchestrator, Damon Intrabartolo, conducting and the composer in attendance. :Also featured the pianist from the original soundtrack, Eric Anderson, playing the solo part (June 9, 2007) *Bob & Barn: Suite from the video game MediEvil: Resurrection with the composers in attendance (February 3, 2007) *Jason & Nolan Livesay: Triwizard Suite from the DVD Game to the film Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire with the composer, Jason Livesay, conducting (February 3, 2007) *Joey Newman: Main Title from the video game Lineage (February 3, 2007) *Colin O'Malley: Suite from the video game Superman Returns (February 3, 2007) 2006 *Dimitri Tiomkin: The First Christmas for orchestra, soprano soloist and choir (December 17, 2006) *Steven Allen Fox: Overture from Symphonic Suite from Battleworlds with the composer conducting (August 20, 2006) 2005 *Christopher Young: Suite from the film Urban Legend with the composer in attendance (October 30, 2005) *John Williams: Battle of the Heroes from the film Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (North American premiere - May 21, 2005) *Dimitri Tiomkin: The Fall of Love (for string orchestra) from the film The Fall of the Roman Empire (April 9, 2005) *Elmer Bernstein: End Credits from the film Three Amigos (February 19, 2005) Current Season (2011 - 2012) Previous Season (2010 - 2011) Past Seasons |} |} |} |} |} |} |} |} References Los Angeles Times http://articles.latimes.com/2009/oct/18/entertainment/ca-disneyside18 External links * www.gspo.com http://www.gspo.com Category:Articles created via the Article Wizard Category:Pops orchestras Category:American orchestras